Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel didn't make any mention of the gun control issue in his statement expressing sympathy for the victims of the tragedy in Connecticut. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Posted on 12/15/2012 8:09:24 PM PST by neverdem
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel didn't make any mention of the gun control issue in his statement expressing sympathy for the victims of the tragedy in Connecticut. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Democrats all over Washington issued statements Friday expressing sympathy and dismay over the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. But amid the sadness, grief and shock one thing was clear — most in the Democratic Party did not want to inject a discussion of gun control into the day.
Many Democrats blame gun control for Al Gore’s 2000 presidential loss and there has been an increasing reluctance over the past decade to push the issue to the forefront of American politics. In 2006, Democrats won a majority in Congress in part by winning in conservative areas with candidates who were proudly pro-gun rights.
President Barack Obama alluded to gun control in his statement Friday, calling for “meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of politics.”
“There is, I’m sure, will be, rather, a day for discussion of the usual Washington policy debates, but I don’t think today is that day,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said earlier in the day.
Like Obama, Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., also alluded to gun control. “Perhaps an awful tragedy like this will bring us together so we can do what it takes to prevent this horror from being repeated again,” he said in a written statement.
Democratic Congressional Committee Chairman Steve Israel of New York avoided vague references altogether. His statement was purely sympathetic and stressed that Americans should “stand together with the community of Newtown.”
But a few lawmakers did put the gun control discussion front and center.
“Americans are sick and tired of these attacks on our children and neighbors and they are sick and tired of nothing being done in Washington to stop the bloodshed,” Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J., a leading advocate of gun control, said in a written statement. “If we do not take action to address gun violence, shooting tragedies like this will continue. As President Obama said, we must act now ‘regardless of the politics.’”
The democrat party does not have the right to take my civil rights.
If they want to dicuss solutions to children being slaughtered in defenseless schools, we can talk about that.
If they want to talk about eating our civil rights and leaving us without defense, then they can go **** themselves.
Take the guns away from their armed bodyguards first, then they might could have some credibility to talk about it.
The Dems will get NOWHERE near the issue of gun control. They want the House in 2014 a lot more than they want to please Sarah Brady.
There will be NOTHING coming out of Congress relating to gun control until at least 2015. Now the president my try some Executive Orders, but I have NO DOUBT that the Dems in Congress are begging him not to. The Dems lost gun control in 2000, and it’s only getting worse and worse for them. The issue is over and any discussion by them only helps the Republicans.
Look at the list of Democratic Senators. I counted conservatively 20 of them who wouldn’t touch the gun control issue with a ten foot pole. We hold both the House and Senate when it comes to guns. The NRA deserves a huge thanks for this fact. The gun grabbers might be feeling their oats right now, but in reality they are holding no cards in their hand. They do not have the votes, we do.
If your intuition is right then we should push the Dems to talk about gun control at every opportunity. They can either back pedal or erode their support. Whichever venues they don’t want to talk about it at are the venues to pin them down.
Cho Seung-Hui, a Virginia Tech senior who had been diagnosed with and was treated for a severe anxiety disorder in the past, killed 32 people before killing himself.
Apparently mental health issues need to be more thoroughly addressed in the USA.
With all due respect, it’s none of their business what weapons/guns I have or don’t have in my house...
“If your intuition is right then we should push the Dems to talk about gun control at every opportunity.”
Yea, it’s a great issue for us. We have MANY, MANY, ideas on reducing gun crime - starting with ending so-called “gun free zones”, like schools.
But don’t get your hopes up - for some reason we let the Dems set the agenda, every time.
These facts are known by the politicians.
These side effects have been acknowledged by the drug companies.
One begins to wonder if the fascists in our gov’t - who know the first step in taking over a country is the necessity of stripping citizens of their guns - didn't go to the drug companies and make a deal to develop these drugs - for this purpose. The fact that these gun-controllers, from the president on down, were loud and clear in demanding gun-control, using this tragedy for their agenda, while those little bodies were still in that school speaks volumes!
Yes, such evil exists. It operates on such high levels because decent people can't conceive of such raw evil.
We need to acknowledge it.
We need to let our politicians and media KNOW we know - and know THEY know - and demand they answer us individually.
BAN THESE DRUGS...and those that demand gun-control. They are even more dangerous.
Believe me I don’t have any hopes up that depend on Pubbie politicians. The Dems know how to go on the offensive but Republicans don’t get it at all.
We should tell Dems to cool their jets and stop trying to manipulate America’s emotions for gain on their political agenda to end our constitutional right to self defense.
Dems know that there are two loser issues for them:
Gun Control, and, Illegal Alien Amnesty
Both issues, the Dems know, will cost them elections. Which is why you saw no real gun control legislation in the 2 yrs the Dems had the White House, House of Rep, and the Senate. During the same time, they did not pass Illegal Alien Amnesty, either (they tried a milder DREAM ACT Amnesty that could not get enough votes in Senate to survive filibuster)
The GOP keeps helping the Dems on Illegal Alien Amnesty....now I am afraid the same weak GOP will cave in Gun Control....even those both issues are winners for the GOP when they oppose it
Majority of the school shooters are people who want infamy as they commit suicide by killing as many people before they shoot themselves. Despite being crazy these loons are capable of being cunning by choosing targets that cannot fight back as they carry out their mayhem. The only resistance offered by schools is the handful of male staff, but by Federal Law cannot possess guns, the killer will be thrilled at the tactical advantage he has. A skinny autistic loon can nullify any larger unarmed male teacher with a gun. Once the big guys are down, the women teachers and kids are sheep for slaughter. Gun free school zones are not the answer. Armed security or staff is the answer.
One security expert pointed out that in the last 50 years we had no children die in school fires. Why? Schools have drills, and teachers/staff are trained to use the fire extinguisher to put out the fire.
Now transpose the fire drill policy with active shooter drill and guns available for staff to put out the shooter. If every school does that, maybe the next 50 years no student will be killed by an active shooter.
Most liberals (not all but most) are gun owners. They understand gun control hits them as much as anyone else. They’d happily support it IF they could figure a way to keep theirs while you lose yours. To date they haven’t quite figured how to do that. You can bet they’re working on it though.
There is nothing a politician of either party does better than stick their finger in the wind. Right now the mood of the country is not for gun control and they all know it.
With Boehner caving on taxes and spending cuts the Dems probably have a great chance of taking back the House in 2014. They will sit on their hands regarding gun control. For now.
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